Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa

South Africa: Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female was 0.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.3%
Change on year
down 9.7%
World rank
93rd
of 108 countries
All-time high
0.4%
in 2001
All-time low
0.3%
in 1995
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.10.20.30.41995200720201995: 0.315 % of female population in working age2000: 0.377 % of female population in working age2001: 0.39 % of female population in working age2002: 0.319 % of female population in working age2003: 0.329 % of female population in working age2004: 0.328 % of female population in working age2006: 0.356 % of female population in working age2007: 0.37 % of female population in working age2008: 0.384 % of female population in working age2009: 0.373 % of female population in working age2010: 0.353 % of female population in working age2011: 0.356 % of female population in working age2012: 0.36 % of female population in working age2013: 0.369 % of female population in working age2014: 0.369 % of female population in working age2015: 0.377 % of female population in working age2016: 0.37 % of female population in working age2017: 0.377 % of female population in working age2018: 0.376 % of female population in working age2019: 0.37 % of female population in working age2020: 0.335 % of female population in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of female population in working age.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa is 0.3%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 9.7% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa peaked at 0.4% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1995.

That places South Africa 93rd out of 108 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female (% of female population in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of female population in working age Change
1995 0.3%
2000 0.4% +19.5%
2001 0.4% +3.6%
2002 0.3% -18.2%
2003 0.3% +3.2%
2004 0.3% -0.4%
2006 0.4% +8.5%
2007 0.4% +3.9%
2008 0.4% +3.9%
2009 0.4% -3.0%
2010 0.4% -5.4%
2011 0.4% +1.0%
2012 0.4% +1.0%
2013 0.4% +2.7%
2014 0.4% -0.2%
2015 0.4% +2.1%
2016 0.4% -1.7%
2017 0.4% +1.8%
2018 0.4% -0.2%
2019 0.4% -1.6%
2020 0.3% -9.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%, 70% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 0.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.7%, 51% of the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1
2000s 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 9
2010s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 10
2020s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Rwanda 0.4% compare
  2. 91 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.4% compare
  3. 92 Belize 0.3% compare
  4. 94 Sri Lanka 0.3% compare
  5. 95 Türkiye 0.3% compare
  6. 96 Morocco 0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 108 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa?
Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa was 0.3% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2001.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1995.
How does South Africa rank for employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 108 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female (% of female population in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-aged-15-64-female-percent-of-female-population-in-working/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, female (% of female population in working age)
Unit
% of female population in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
108 places, 1,528 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed